Resources
Even though school is over for students and teachers in most PreK-12 schools across the country there are still plenty of reasons to take a look at to understand and recognize JuneTeenth. Gettingsmart.com has put together at thread of resources on twitter. Below are two youtube cartoon videos that explains what JuneTeenth is all about. If you don’t know you can learn what state actually has made Juneteenth a state holiday.
What are you doing July 27-28?
Interested in getting together with other Maine Arts Educators and Teaching Artists? Learn more about Maine Arts Education Partners in Leadership (MAEPL) and consider applying to attend the summer institute and become a Teacher Leader or Teaching Artist Leader for the 2021-22 school year.
At the Summer Institute new Teacher Leaders and Teaching Artist Leaders will learn foundational practices in instructional design and leadership skills. Participants will take part in a variety of workshops focused on emerging needs in Arts Education professional development.
Collaboration, networking, and the sharing of resources are an expectation as a member of the MAEPL community. During the Institute participants will develop an individualized growth plan that will be shared with others for feedback and suggestions.
Throughout the school year, participants will continue to share how their individualized growth plan is developed and implemented, and they will have the opportunity to share at a Critical Friends Day, and with a thought partner.
There is a Winter Retreat with participants to review and reflect on the work done, and allow for time to get feedback to plan for the next Summer Institute.
Teacher Leader/Teaching Artist Leader Annual Expectations:
Teacher Leader/Teaching Artist Leader Opportunities:
JOIN US! Become a Teacher Leader and Change Lives.
APPLY TODAY — CLICK HERE June 22, 2021 deadline for new and returning applicants
IMPORTANT THINGS TO KNOW:
SUMMER INSTITUTE
Pilgrim Lodge is a camp run by the United Church of Christ of Maine on Lake Cobbosseecontee in West Gardiner, with cabins with electricity and plumbing, large indoor and outdoor meeting spaces, modern dining facilities, wifi in main buildings and good general cell reception, and recreation options, including swimming, human-powered boating, and trails.
APPLICATION
Administrator Name/contact information
Paragraph of Interest — Selected individuals will be expected to be active leaders in helping to develop and support excellence in teaching and learning in Maine. A full commitment to the Institute timeline is expected as seen in the online information sheet. Please attach a brief overview of your interest and current/past experience (if any) in Leadership. Include your experience collaborating with other arts educators and experiences relevant to the initiative. (Please no more than ~ 500 words, about 1 page.)
Resume/CV — If you are a Teaching Artist, please also include websites or documentation of your teaching work.
Letter of Reference – TEACHERS: This should be from your administrator. TEACHING ARTISTS: This should be from a school or community organization with whom you have worked. Please attach a Letter of Recommendation in which the person includes comments and/or examples reflecting your leadership potential and your ability to work collaboratively. Selected individuals will be responsible for sharing their newly developed expertise and related classroom experiences with other arts educators.
Questions? Contact Maine Arts Commission Director of Education, Martha Piscuskas at Martha.Piscuskas@maine.gov.
Another school year comes to an end
If you’re a teacher reading ‘last day with kids’, most likely you’ve heard this phrase. The question we ask other teachers from other schools is “when is your last day with kids?” Followed by “when is the last teacher day?” People from out of the profession can’t relate. And, it’s not only about the ‘last day’ but its about the feeling, the ending, and the exhaustion! The chance to ‘rest up’, ‘take a break’, do something completely different and most importantly reflect on the school year. For each of us that looks different and after 45 years in education for me it is about asking some hard questions like, “what were the successes and what were the challenges”, and a biggie for me this year is “do you want to continue another year and if so, what might that look like?” I believe if I listen to what the universe is saying that my next steps will be clear.
Last week at the local library book and plant sale I purchased a $1 hard cover book called A Shaker Sister’s Drawings. It’s a lovely book that includes 180 watercolor paintings done by Cora Helena Sarle and the text is written by Elder Henry Clay Binn. They were both Shakers in the Canterbury Village in New Hampshire. The illustrations are sweet and once I learned about Sister Helena, as she was known by, I found that they speak to me in a way that represents the Shaker world of faith and love.
The background story is one that quiets the mind and body after a very busy last month of school and perhaps the answers are in the pages of the book as I look carefully at the illustrations. Helena, age 15, came to Canterbury in 1882 as hundreds of children did during that time. She wasn’t well and Elder Henry who noticed her passion for painting suggested that she spend her time in the fields painting the wild flowers and plants. Helena flourished and over the next several years painted over 180 flowers. She made a commitment to the Shaker world at age 21. Elder Henry knew every tree and plant in the community and educated and guided the many children through his patience and kindness. When Helena was 40 he passed away and she took on the role of teaching and guiding. A woman with a sense of fun, she led the way with sledding and popcorn parties, trips to the seashore, candy making, fishing parties and picnics. Perhaps that contributed to her long life that lasted to almost 90. Many years later the artwork and writing was acquired by a Shaker collector who had the book published.
If you’ve been teaching this year, we all know it’s been like no other. I wish you a transition to summer that’s filled with time to ponder and rest. As we close another school year I hope you will find the light that reminds you that sometimes it’s about noticing the small things along the path.
Speaking of plants and flowers, this is part of a poem by E.E. Cummings called I Carry Your Heart with Me (I carry it in)
(here is the root of the root and the bud of the bud
and the sky of the sky of a tree called life; which grows
higher than soul can hope or mind can hide)
Deadline – July 15
Interested in bringing TED-Ed Student Talks to your classroom or school next year? You have until July 15th to apply!
The standards-aligned TED-Ed Student Talks Program supports students as they discover, explore and present their big ideas in the form of short, TED-style talks. If you’re an educator at a school or educational organization, apply to receive our free program resources and step-by-step instructions in time for next semester. Don’t miss this window!
What is the Student Talks Program?
There are two more application cycles this year.
Application cycle 2:
Opens on April 1 and closes on July 15. Applications submitted during this cycle will receive approval on August 1.
Application cycle 3:
Opens on August 1 and closes on November 8. Applications submitted during this cycle will receive approval on December 1.
Click here for the Information Packet. Click here to apply. This program is underway isn 130 countries around the world. Seems like a great way to connect your students with others.
You’re invited
Now in its 10th year, The Maine Arts Education Partners in Leadership invites YOU, with other selected Maine visual and performing arts teachers and teaching artists, to be part of a year-long exploration in leading your school communities and the profession in effective teaching and learning in the arts. If you are selected, you will be expected to attend the 2021 Summer Institute, taking place in person July 26-28 at Pilgrim Lodge on Cobbosseecontee Lake in West Gardiner. Themes of this year’s Institute are: Reflection & Renewal ~ Sharing Successes ~ Partnerships ~ Individualized Goal-Setting.
If you are selected, there is no cost to attend the Institute; however the expectation is that you integrate your learnings in your classroom, your school community, and share with other educators in your region of Maine and beyond. Full participants will receive documentation of contact hours.
MAEPL PURPOSE
The Maine Arts Education Partners in Leadership (MAEPL) is committed to developing and promoting high quality arts education for all. MAEPL operates on the premise of “teachers teaching teachers.” All of our design teams, institutes, and professional development opportunities offer/encourage collaboration.
If interested, please complete the online application form by June 22.
Returning? Complete THIS FORM by June 22.
Questions? Contact Martha Piscuskas, Director of Arts Education at the Maine Arts Commission, Martha.Piscuskas@maine.gov 207-287-2750
For more information ….
Listen to a message from Martha Piscuskas at THIS LINK.
Registration opens TODAY
| MAEA Summer Retreat/Conference at Pilgrim Lodge Creating on Cobbossee August 2 – August 5 Cost: $220 (Includes room and board) * NOTE – Your membership must be updated for the 2021-2022 membership year in order for your registration to be considered complete. Click HERE to register as an MAEA member for 2021-2022. Membership runs from June 1st to May 31st annually. Registration opens TODAY: June 14th at 7 a.m. (Registration is limited to 100 people!) |
Greetings fellow Art teachers! Do you feel like this year has dragged all the life out of you and you need to give yourself a break from the grind? Do we have an opportunity for you! Starting on Monday, August 2 – Thursday, August 5, you can join about 100 of your closest Art teaching friends on the shores of beautiful Lake Cobbosseecontee for glorious uninterrupted Art making!
The site is Pilgrim Lodge, which has a boardwalk connecting 18 cabins, a dining hall, a main lodge, and several woodland trails. The cabins can house 6 people and also have screened porches. Each cabin has bunks, a bathroom and shower.
The waterfront includes a large swimming area with kayaks, canoes, prams, and access to an island. You may also bring your own gear.
There are many indoor spaces for setting up your art practice and lots of trails to get away from it all.
There’s even a large woodland labyrinth to walk when you need to do some deep thinking.
Pilgrim Lodge is 20 minutes from Augusta and one hour north of Portland. We will not be offering workshops but hope that everyone will be comfortable making art on their own. Our desire is to make this a yearly event in addition to the Fall conference at Haystack. The cost is $220 which includes meals, lodging, gorgeous sunsets over the lake, and just a few mosquitoes. Check out www.pilgrimlodge.org for more information about the site. Pilgrim Lodge has a no alcohol, recreational drugs, or smoking policy and we intend to honor this during our stay there. Please plan accordingly. We hope that you will consider joining us in this exciting endeavor to create some great new memories, friendships, and ART.
Sincerely,
your friends and colleagues at the MAEA
Didja hear the news?
This is 6 minutes of fun with Lin-Manuel Miranda and Jimmy Fallon.
Dedicated teachers for 42 years
This is a wonderful tribute to music teachers, Kevin and Pam Rhein. They have dedicated the last 42 years to teaching. The have impacted hundreds of students in Messalonskee Schools. This is a wonderful tribute to both of them – teachers, community members, parents, friends, and colleagues. Wishing you only the very best Pam and Kevin and thank you for your commitment to education!
Panel discussion
Join us next Tuesday, June 8th for a dynamic panel discussion that will interrogate the systems of Eurocentric educational spaces and their impact on the liberation of BIPOC students, from both a historical and multicultural frame of reference. The panel will be moderated by Dr. Durell Cooper, Co-Founder and CEO, Cultural Innovation Group and the panelists include:
Phil Chan, Co-Founder, Final Bow for Yellow Face
Quanice Floyd, Executive Director, Arts Education in Maryland Schools Alliance
Ashley Lipscomb, CEO, The Institute for Anti-Racist Education, Inc.
Registration is required and this event is free to attend.
Performance
Each of us holds meaning about pieces of history in different ways and for different reasons. My mother’s birthday was yesterday, she would have been 103 years old. She died at age 97. She and my dad had an amazing story which included D-Day. My parents were very patriotic, perhaps it was because my father landed at Omaha Beach after fighting in Africa and Sicily as part of the Army’s Big Red One. His story continued on from the beach for several months. My mother was proud that she shared her birthday with D-Day having volunteered in WWII helping with the wounded soldiers when they returned to the states.
We talk about performances and the meaning behind the stories. When I saw this performance by Sam Elliott I knew that I had to share it on the blog. It’s Ray Lambert’s story but its also everyone’s story who fought in the war. The performance of Sam Elliott sharing Ray Lambert’s story is the finest kind of performance, in my opinion.
In remembrance of D-Day Actor Sam Elliott shares the story of 98-year-old D-Day survivor Ray Lambert who landed on Omaha Beach. Sgt. Ray Lambert is a highly-decorated combat medic who landed on Omaha Beach on D-Day in 1944. He survived along with his brother who also landed on the Normandy beaches on D-Day. This talk was given at the 30th National Memorial Day Concert in Washington D.C. in 2019.
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